UGH! Stupid people drive me crazy

jmpmo

I just had the craziest experience with a candidate. First of all, she called me from the parker lot 5 minutes after she was supposed to be here saying that "I am here in the parking lot, but am waiting for the rain to let up because I don't want to be a drowned rat when we interview." I told her not to worry about the rain, but just come in so we could start the process. She comes in, with an umbrella, and trys to come in the locked doors instead of the front doors. Is is just me or are candidates getting dumber by the day? We are very specific with them about where to park and which doors to come in. I just want to send them home as soon as they come in and say well, you apparently can't follow directions, so go ahead and go home.

Thanks for the vent, I feel better.

Don D

jmpmo: It seems you are being a bit harsh with the applicant due to a few meaningless things. I remember the few interviews I have been on in my life and the last thing on my mind as I approach the facility, the gate, the main office area, the tree-lined entrance....is which door was it I was supposed to use or did I park in precisely the right spot. I think I'd be more concerned about whether my socks match, is my tie straight, are my pants zipped up, does my pen have ink in it, do I have enough paper to take notes on, are my responses polished and ready for delivery, and what do I do to get myself on the A list of prospects for this job. Some people are very intimidated by the interview process (perhaps most, unless professionals like us) and they can't be expected to behave as we might. I would have told her to sit in her car and wait till it stopped raining and I was looking forward to meeting her and to remember to use the third door on the left. That would have put her on a higher positive plane for the interview.

AprilShowers

Perhaps this was the last straw for you yesterday!!!!! Hope youre having a better day today!
April

Rockie

I can sorta forgive candidates for being stupid, but sometimes current employees are the ones I worry about. We have an internal posting procedure where we post internal vacancies for three days on the bulletin boards. The posting outlines the qualifications, who to call if you are interested in interviewing for the position. In addition, at the top of the bulletin board under "Internal Postings" is the procedure to follow.

Invariably I get calls from supervisors telling me that prospective candiates call stating "Can you tell me about the position?" (Read the damn posting!) and "How to I apply" (Read the damn board!)

This tends to tell you a lot about how well your candidate can read an comprehend directions.

Leslie

I have a new hire whose insurance becomes effective July 1 calling all over the HR countryside yesterday because he hadn't received his insurance books and card. My HR benefits specialist says, well, it's June 25th - I don't send that stuff out until the first day of each month. Why, he says. Because when employees get their cards early, they think their in, they use them and they are not eligible. Well, I wouldn't do that he says, so give me my stuff early.

That would be a no.

ray a

A good story, not quite in the same vein... but easier to post here than start a new thread.

One of our ee's who does labor quoting complained strongly this morning about a program manager who made an error on a quote - he used some unrepeatable names and questioned the guy's parentage and other nice stuff like that.

Well, the labor quoter has been unhappy in his current position and his manager has been unhappy with him for a while. Unbeknownst to him, a deal was made this morning to transfer him to program management. He will be assisting the guy he complained about earlier. When his current manager broke the news she said she has a new "name" he could call this program manager... "boss".

jmpmo

Alright Don! So maybe I was being a little grumpy yesterday. I was having an aweful day. That does not change the fact that you should pay attention when someone gives you directions. Especially when you should be trying to impress this person. On top of that, I had to hear her entire life story during the interview. If I would have been remotely impressed by her, that would have been different. I may have not minded waiting until the rain let up, only 10 feet from parking to front door and she had an umbrella, if I didn't have another appointment scheduled after her. Ok, I am done venting back at you Don. Great shirt, bike picture btw!!

Don D

Being the gentlemen Ray and I are, our solution would have been to dash out with an umbrella and lay down a trench coat over the puddle. And have a cup of coffee waiting for her. You'll have a better day tomorrow. I just know it!

ray a

Oh, I do that all the time, Don.

Just had another good one. We hired a new group of ee's this week and as usual I gave them my attendance speech in orientation. Well, after working on Monday and Tuesday, one rising star called in early and didn't even try to talk to anyone but left a message on the front desk answering machine. Said a good buddy of his was leaving town and he wanted to spend a couple of days with him before he left. So, he took off Wednesday and Thursday. Apparently, he felt after working a grueling 2 days, he was entitled to a 2 day vacation. When he returned this morning (Friday) he was shocked that we were terminating his employment. He called the supervisor all kinds of names and said HR had told him they could take off whenever they wanted all they had to do was call. Yeah, right. I love it when people give the excuse that HR said it was OK.

scottorr

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-27-03 AT 09:04AM (CST)[/font][p]I had an interesting sort of interview. I had an interview set up at 9:00am with Judy. 8:55am I get a call from reception saying that my interviewee has arrived. So I greet the young lady and say "Hi Judy, its nice to meet you". She says, "its nice to meet you as well". We go into my office and I start the interview. I started asking her questions about her work experience, and she says, "I've never worked at any of those places". So I say "that is what is listed on your resume". She says "I never submitted a resume, I just showed up this morning and thought I could get an interview". My candidate never showed. So I said to her "when I said this morning, Hi Judy, its nice to meet you, you replied". She said "yes my name is Judy, I just thought the receptionist had told you my name". What are the chances?

I let her know that she shouldn't just show up at places expecting an interview without applying first. I handed her an application and suggested that she fill it out. She said she would take it home. My guess is we'll never see her again.

Leslie

Okay Ray, you proved you can reflect insincerity on paper.

Trench coats over puddles indeed! Carry me over streets you can fry an egg on and I'll be impressed.

ray a

Insincerity? Leslie, I'm hurt. I was only trying to humor Don. But, stop and think about it, it is plausible. We have been getting a lot of rain this spring in NY - above the average. So we tend to have a lot of puddles. I do have a trench coat. So, it is possible I could be chivalrous. We are having a heat wave right now - it was 96 yesterday, but not hot enough to fry an egg. So, I guess to impress you, I would have to go to Arizona. But, I don't know 110 plus is awfully hot. I'm a pretty big guy, but unless you are quite small, I'll pass.

Leslie

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 06-27-03 AT 11:02AM (CST)[/font][p]Okay Ray I believe you. x;-)

I know you miss your daughter and grandchild, but I'd suggest waiting until late September or so to visit. While your temperatures in New York and ours have been very close lately - tho a huge difference in humidity - this weekend is supposed to hit the teens, as in one hundred and teens.

Thus my need to run away to the north country and pine trees.

While I am quite short, the weight involved might not equate to "quite small." So I guess we can pass on the carrying, because any dropping involved would not be good. x:D

ray a

Leslie, it hit 115 recently in Phoenix according to my daughter - that is way too hot for me. I was there early last September after my grandaughter was born. It hit a high of 109. Getting off the plane at 8:00 PM in the dark with the temp at 107 was a shock. By the time I got used to it was time to go home to 50 degree NY weather. We will be out there again sometime this fall.

mwild31

Well, I don't know if I would call them stupid - but, I've definitely had some "winning" applications hit my desk over the past couple of days. I have one of the greatest applications - it asks what you liked most about your previous job and what you liked least. Of course, the 'least area' is my favorite.

One fellow worked as a bartendar for about 4 months - his 'least' response? "Working around drunk people." Another worked as a Corrections Officer (there's a lot of training involved here) and chucked it all away after 2 months, because - you may have guessed it - "the inmates were too dangerous." Maybe the job titles were not specific enough.... x:)

Zanne

We have an Insurance position available and unfortunately, that involves a lot of unsavory type people. Salespeople with aggressive attitudes and salespeople wannabes who who no attitude.

The current one driving me crazy is one that at least once a day makes contact with me by email, voicemail, in person, in writing, through a friend/coworker, or, I'm hoping, perhaps channeling though my assistant in the future. I explained to her a few times now that we WON'T BE INTERVIEWING UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAY. Perhaps I should be more specific as to what upcoming Holiday I mean.

Zanne

ritaanz

My applicant could not find the front door. (It faces the street and you have to drive by it to get into the parkibng lot.) We have signs with arrows showing the way. She drives around the building and finds the overhead door for Receiving. Since there was a delivery being made the door was open. She walks in and sees the lunchroom. Goes in and proceeds to buy a sandwich, soda and candy. She seats herself at a table and starts eating.

One of my supervisors sees her, doesn't recognize her as an employee so he introduces himself to her and asks her what she is doing here. She tells him that she has an appointment with me for an interview and asks him if he would be so kind as to ask me to join her in the lunchroom for the interview.

The supervisor, knowing my reaction, went to the closet, got a plastic bag, put her stuff inside and escorted her to her car. He told her he would be happy to tell me she was here on time and that she should call me the next day. AND.... she drove away.

Yes! She called. Don't ask.

HRQ

When I interviewed for my current job in 2001, I hadn't been interviewed since 1989. I'd spent the previous six plus years interviewing applicants and felt like I'd be able to walk in with confidence.

During the whole interview, I kept reminding myself that if I don't get the job, the one thing I'd learned is that no matter who you are and what kind of experience you have, interviewing for a job is absolutely nerve wracking, and I would have to make a bigger effort to put applicants at ease. As a matter of fact, that is how I ended the interview - "thanks for the opportunity, it's been a long time since I've been an interviewee, and even if I am not selected for this position, I have been reminded how difficult it is for applicants to be in this position!"

I also happened to be 8 months pregnant, and it was end of July - in Phoenix. Sweating like a woman who is 8 months pregnant in 110 degree heat. I got the job. x:-)

sonny

Then there was one of our police officers who was bitten by a snake and acted like there was something wrong with ME when I said, " and your gloves were where?"